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H. R. ALLEN. HARVESTER-GUTTER BAR LIFTER Patented D60. 5, 1882.

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WITNESSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE R. ALLEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

HARVESTER-CUTTER-BAR LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,375, dated December5, 1882.

Application filed February 7, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HORACE R. ALLEN, of the city of Indianapolis, countyof Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gutter-Bar Lift- 'ers, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my said invention is to raise the cutter-bars 0t mowing orsuch like machines by power from the machine itself instead of by thecommon hand-lever, as has been usual. 7

This object is accomplished by and the invention consists in mounting aratchet-wheel on the axle of the machine, or on a shaft han ging uponsaid axle or shaft, a stirrup carrying another shaft or rod connectedwith any ordi- .nary crank mechanism for lifting the cutterbar, andproviding a devicein connection with said stirrup by which when saidsecond shaft or rod is partially rotated a connection between it andsaid ratchet-wheel will be formed,

Y whereby said rod or rock-shaft will be drawn longitudinally, and thusrotate said crank mechanism attached to the cutter-bar and lift saidcutter-bar.

The invention further consists of the combination, with the crankmechanism aforesaid, and the end of the rod or rock-shaft attachedthereto, of a non-rotatingdisk or some'equivalent device on the shaft ofsaid crank mechanism or some other rigid part of the machine near it, onone side of which, at the proper point, is a projection in the form ofan inclined plane which engages with the bent end of said rod orrock-shaft or a projection thereon,

reversing its rotation and thus forcing a disengagement between theconnecting device which connects its support at the other end to theratchet-wheel and said ratchet-wheel, and also thereby locks the crankmechanism and holds the cutter-bar in position.

The invention still further consists in some details of construction,allas will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure1 is a top or plan view of a mowing-machine to which my said inventionhas been applied; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section thereof on thedot-ted line z z, the invention proper bein g shown in side elevation;Fig. 3, a side elevation of the mechanism rclating particularly to thisinvention, the surrounding parts being removed; Fig. 4, a top plan ofthe same; Fig. 5, a detail vertical section on the dotted line y y,-Fig. 6, a similar view on the dotted line mm; Fig. 7, a horizontalsection of the stirrup, looking downwardly from the dotted line 20 w;and Fig. 8, a section of the mechanism at the front end, looking to theright from the dotted line a o in Fig. 3.

In said drawings, the portions marked A.

represent the wheels of the mowing-machine; B, the axle thereto; 0, thecasing or framework of the machine; D, the seat; E, the tongue; F, aratchet-wheel mounted on the axle B or on an equivalent shaft G,astirrup hung on said axle or shaft, preferably having a bearing on eachside of said ratchet-wheel; H, a rock-shaft or rod mounted at one end inthe lower end of said stirrup and connected at the other with a crankmechanism for lifting the cutter-bar; I, aslide whereby a connection maybe made between said ratchet-wheel and said rod; J, a crank-wheel to anarm on whichsaid bar is connected; K, a chain or rod connecting anotherarm on said wheel to the cutter-bar; L, said cutter-bar; M, the shaft onwhich the wheel J is mounted, and N a non rotating disk on the sameshaft as the crank- Whecl.

The wheels A, axle B, casing C, seat D, and.

the cutter-bar, as will be hereinafter explained. I The stirrup G ismounted on the shaft B, as shown, being preferably bifurcated, so thatit may have a bearing on both sides of the ratchet-wheel. It hangsloosely on the shaft, in perpendicular position, except when forcedaround by the operation of the mechanism, as

hereinafter described. It contains a rocking bearing, h for the rod orrock-shaft H at its lower end, and slides or ways on its inner sides forthe sliding device I.

The rod or rock-shaft H has bearing in and is attached to both thestirrup G and the crank-arm j" on the crank-wheel J. At the end mountedin the stirrup Gr this rod is provided with a crank, it, which restsagainst the slide I, or to which said slide is attached, and at theother end with a bend or projection, h, which engages with the disk N.Centrally on on said rod or rock shaft is an arm, 71/2, and attached tosaid arm is a treadle, H by means of which a partial rotation may begiven to said rod.

The slide I rests in grooves or ways in the inside faces of the sides ofthe stirrup G, and is operated to move up and engage with theratchet-wheel F by the crank in the rod or rock-shaft H, when the latteris rotated by means of the treadle H and arm h whereby the stirrupbecomes rigid with said wheel and moves therewith until the engagementbetween said slide and said wheel is released, which is either done bythe gravity of the parts when the pressure upon the treadle H is removedor by the action of the inclined plane upon the disk N, as willhereinafter be described. A slight pressure upon the treadle H when thecutter-baris being lowered, causes this slide to bear lightly againstthe wheel F, and thus act as a brake and prevent the cutter-bar fromdescending too rapidly.

The crank-wheel'J is a wheel or hub loosely mounted on a shaft, M, andhaving two arms or projections, to one of which,j, the chain or rod K isattached, and through the other of which, j the rod H passes. When thiswheel is rotated in the reverse direction to the rotation of the axle,which is done in this case by means of the said rod H, the cutter-bar isof course lifted by means of the chain K.

The chain K and cutter-bar L and shaft M are not dissimilar to otherdevices of like character.

The disk N is rigidly mounted upon the shaft M, and, assaid shaft isnon-rotating, occupies an unvarying position. It is provided at theproper point with an angular projection, n, which, as the rod or rockshaft His moved endwise by the action of the ratchet-wheel, ashereinbefore described, will, when the bend or projection h on said rodcomes in contact therewith, raise the same, thus reversing the rotationof said rod from that given it by the action of thetreadle H throwingdown the crank from lifting contact with the slide I, thus disengagingsaid slide from the ratchet-wheel F and stopping the endwise movement ofthe rod or rock-shaft H. The projection nissomewhat larger than isnecessary to accomplish the above-specified object, and therefore afterthe bend or projection h in the rod H has passed over it said bend orprojection is enabled to drop back a part of the way and catch on theback of said projection n, which .prevents said rod and the crank-wheelJ from moving back, and thereby letting the cutterbar down, until thepart h is released from its said engagement with said projection 02. Inorder to prevent said part h from falling down too far, a secondprojection, a, of somewhat less height than the projection 12, is formedon the disk immediately in the rear of said projection n. Instead ofthis disk N, any device rigidly attached to the shaft M or to anyadjacent part of the machine, and provided with the inclined projectionit, might be used, and

' would be considered by me a substantial equivalent for said disk, asthe latter has no function in this machine apart from what is performedby said projection. When it is desired to drop the cutter-bar theprojection or bent portion h at the end of the shaft H is raised out ofengagement with the projection n,which may be done by theoperatorinserting his toe in the loop h and lifting thereon.

The operation of my said invention may be recapitulated as follows: Whenit is desired to raise the cutter-bar the operator presses upon thefoot-lever H thereby, through the arm k partly rotating the rod orrock-shaft H, which, through the crank it, raises the slide I, forcingit into engagement with the ratchet-wheel F, which is firmly fixed onthe axle B, and therefore, when the machine is in motion,iscontinuouslyin rotation. The slide I, being firmly held in grooves in the stirrup G,(which is hung loosely orrthe axle,) then causes said stirrup to movewith said wheel F and pull the rod or rock-shaft H, whichis attached tosaid stirrup, and through said rod partially revolve the crank-wheel J,which, through the arm j and chain K, lifts the cutter-bar. When thecutter-bar has reached the proper height the projection n is so arrangedthatit comes in contact with the bent portion h of the shaft, rotatingthe rock-shaft in the reverse direction from that in which it wasrotated by the foot-lever 11, thus throwing down the crank h andpermitting the slide I to become disengaged from the wheel F, thusstopping the movement. The bent portion h engages behind the projectionn, and is held thereby until released, thus preventing the crank-wheelfrom reeedingfromits position. This holds the cutter-bar from fallmg.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a cutter-bar lifter formowing and like machines, the combination of a ratchet-wheel on theshaft or axle, a stirrup depending from said shaft or axle, arock-shaft, H, connected at one end to said stirrup and at the other toa crank-wheel mechanism for lifting the cutterbar, a slide in saidstirrup, means which operate to engage the same with the ratchet-wheel,said crank wheel mechanism, a connection from the same to thecutter-bar, and said out ter-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cutter-bar lifter for mowing and like machines,the combinationof the rock-shaft H, having crank portion h, with the stirrup G, slideI, and ratchet-wheel F, whereby when said shaft is rocked said-slidewill be brought into engagement with said wheel, and thus cause saidstirrup to move therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cutter-bar lifter for mowing and like machines, the combination,with the rock-shaft H, having bent end h. and crank-wheel mechanism, ofthe disk N, having a projection, n, whereby said shaft is first partlyrotated and it and said crank-wheel mechanism then fastened,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the axle or shaft B, ratchet-wheel F, stirrup Gr,slide I, shaft H, crank-wheel J, having suitable arms or projections,chain or rod K, and the cutter-bar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a mowing or like machine, of the cutter-bar, theimmediate means for lifting the same, the main shaft or axis,

HORACE R. ALLEN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

G. BRADFORD, OHAs. L. THURBER.

